Some of my Christian friends are afraid to read a book and go to a movie. There’s something wrong with that picture. Pun intended.

When I first started hearing about The DaVinci Code, I sighed and thought, here we go again. As I taught an adult Sunday School class on church history some time ago, one of the things I discovered was that heresies abounded from the earliest days of Christendom and they have always managed to rear their ugly heads in one form or another ever since. The Da Vinci Code is, of course, just another round of the same old same old.

So why are my friends afraid of it? Sad to say, I believe the reason for their fear is that they do not think they have the Biblical knowledge and depth of faith that would survive the challenges the book launches. Sad to say, many of them are right. We have all heard much about the fact that the majority of those sitting in the pews on any given Sunday are Biblically illiterate. They are most at risk when heresies like The DaVinci Code become mass marketed. Because they are not grounded in sound doctrine, they are easily swayed by any false teaching that becomes popular.

They are like soldiers who know the enemy is out there, they may even know his weapons, but they also know they have little protection against them. Like soldiers, they are faced with a choice – find the armour that will protect them against the enemy’s weapons, or run away and hide and pretend the war isn’t really happening. I pray the soldiers of the Lord will not choose the latter option.

As Christians the challenge we face from The DaVinci Code is to arm ourselves with the truth. We must not only know what we believe, but why we believe it. Above all, we must know the One who is the hero of our story. When you know a man – his character, his integrity, his faithfulness – when you have seen Him at work and at play, you are much less likely to believe the slander that may be spread about him. 

So I say to my friends, as the apostle Paul said to the Ephesians, “…be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11). Paul goes on to describe the armour as the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation. With armour like that in place, no lies will sway us, no deception will have affect.

The new popularity of this very old heresy is, in a way, a good thing. It will force some of us to get off the theological fence and others to study the Bible for a deeper understanding of Jesus, the man and the God.

The trumpet of The DaVinci Code is a call to arms. Don’t be afraid. Answer the call.

I received an invitation in the mail yesterday. It’s one of the home-made kind, with a border of stamped flowers around the edge. The card is really just a courtesy since I have been asked to be the speaker at the event, so I did not look at it very closely at first. It wasn’t until I was relaxing after supper that I noticed something seemed missing in the design. In the center of the card is a single flower and just to its right there is an insect. I stared at it for a moment, then realized what it was – a butterfly with no wings. I know it may seem odd, but that made me smile. You see, the topic I’d been thinking of for the event, a mother/daughter banquet to celebrate Mother’s Day, is “Giving Your Daughters Wings.”

I’ve been thinking about that poor little butterfly – how sad it is that she has no way to fly, no way to find the flowers that will give her nourishment. There are a lot of wingless butterflies in the world. I’ve had a personal experience with one recently. She moved into a house we own a few months ago and we recently had to ask her to leave. She did, and took everything that wasn’t nailed down with her – a coffee table, the vacuum cleaner, the lawnmower, even the garbage cans. I suspect the sale of all of those things will feed her drug habit. That young woman is a butterfly with no wings, crawling instead of flying, living a life she wasn’t designed to live. Proverbs 29:15 says – “…a child left to itself disgraces his mother.” Too many children have been left to themselves in this world.

As a mother, I’ve sometimes wondered if my actions have clipped my children’s wings, or strengthened them. (I think it was Dr. James Dobson who said motherhood is the most guilt ridden profession on earth!) Was I too permissive or too strict? Did I crush their dreams? Did I make them feel that they were loved enough or did I give the impression I had no time for them in my busy schedule? Did I show them where to find the flowers that would nourish their bodies, minds and most of all, spirits? It is a mother’s responsibility to do that – to lead, to correct, to nurture.

The good news is that even if I have messed up, and since I’m human I know I have, there is still hope. Even a wingless butterfly can have hope. God’s grace is available to everyone. It can make wings grow and strengthen those that are too weak to fly. God’s forgiveness can teach a butterfly how to soar. His word can lead it right to the sweetest of nectars. His spirit can put wind under its wings and blow it to a place of sunlight and peace.

The good news is that God invites us to be part of that process. He invites us to tell people about Him, show them by how we live, what it means to have wings, and then issue an invitation to accept the forgiveness that will make them into complete butterflies.

Maybe you know one or two who are crawling on the ground instead of flying. Maybe you need to extend an invitation. I know I do.

It seemed fitting that the sky hung heavy and low. It seemed right that the wind was bitter, howling with the fierce shriek of winter around a tiny country cemetery. There was a very small hole in the ground and a very tiny casket to be put into it. It seemed appropriate that we all stood numbed by the cold of that day.

A friend of mine once wrote a poem about Adam, Eve and God in the Garden of Eden. It was a good poem, well constructed with a strong rhythm and powerful images. One of those images often comes to mind when bad things happen to good people. It’s an image of God curled into a fetal position, and the wailing sound of His weeping.

Sometimes we ask hard questions. Why did that baby have to die, God? Why is my friend suffering with a painful cancer? Why are those people in Africa starving? We don’t usually get a good answer to those questions. They leave us numb and they leave us wondering if God is there.

But then there is that image and that sound. In my friend’s poem God mourned the first disobedience, the first break in His relationship with the creatures He put on the earth. The picture my friend painted with his words was of a God who cares, a God who feels our pain, a God who mourns with us, especially at the graves of tiny babies.

He is also a God who will answer. He is a God who acted to redeem all that was broken in our world. His is a God who continues to do so. The redemption was accomplished on the cross of Calvary , but it is not yet complete. As the writer of the book of Hebrews said, God “… waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:13).

The process is sometimes painful, but the world will one day be made entirely new, entirely redeemed. The scriptures talk about creation groaning as we wait for that day. The groans do not fall on deaf ears, nor will they remain unanswered forever. One day that tiny baby will rise, whole and perfect as God intended him to be.

God’s plan is unfolding. What then, should we do in those times when we groan and feel there is no answer? Again, scripture tells us  – “To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

Humility before God bows the knee and continues to believe. Humility before God acknowledges His sovereignty and calls Him good. Even when babies die and the pain of this world overwhelms, humility before God says, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

 

 

Abridged Version

By Marcia Lee Laycock

I just showed a video to my grade four class called The Easter Story. It was a cartoon version, abridged and modified for a young audience. I almost showed them a clip from the Jesus video which is much more realistic, but decided to leave that for next year. They’ll be a whole year older then, more able to understand and handle the truth.

But I wonder. Did I do the right thing? Is it ever a good thing to abridge the gospel, to paint it in colours that aren’t quite so stark, so difficult? The story is a difficult one. Torture is never pretty and we know that Jesus suffered under the Roman torturers. Betrayal is never easy to take and we know Jesus was betrayed even by those closest to Him. But most difficult of all is the struggle to grasp what it all means. Did this man, Jesus, really take on all the sin of the world in those final moments? Was it really a victory for all of us? Maybe we should tone it all down just a notch. He was a good man, after all. We can all agree on that. Isn’t that enough?

God’s word says no. God’s word says he was the Son of God, meant to suffer torture and death for us. God’s word says He did indeed die for the sins of mankind and then rose again to be the first among the resurrected. These are truths that cannot, that must not, be abridged. It is God’s truth after all. No mere mortal will ever destroy it, though they continue to try. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed that when he said – “The grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

It was the word of God that Jesus succeeded in fulfilling. It was the word that laid out in fine detail the beginnings of mankind, his fall and his subsequent history of struggle and pain. It was the word that detailed, too, the profound plan of redemption and proclaimed the good news of God’s victory.

It is the word that we can proclaim now, this Easter season. Say it to one another, say it to strangers. Shout it from the rooftops – He is risen. He is risen indeed!

Getting Ready

By Marcia Lee Laycock

It seems the word anticipation is an appropriate one for this time of year. The snow is melting rapidly and the bushes are showing that faint red tint that tells us life is pouring back into them after the long sleep of winter.

That word is also appropriate for my life right now. In a few weeks I’ll be packing to go to a women’s retreat. It’s a yearly event, one I plan for and look forward to well ahead of the date. Another few weeks after that, I’ll be packing again, this time in preparation for a trip east to meet my daughter when she returns from Bangladesh . You can imagine the growing anticipation for that trip! Let’s just say I’m already counting the days.

We are also anticipating another event at this time of year. Some of us have already been preparing for it. I attended a party a short time ago where a huge chocolate cake sat in the middle of the table as we ate supper and laughed with the ‘birthday boy.’ Then the baker of the cake, the hostess of the party, distributed evenly sliced pieces all round. But she did not cut a piece for herself. She had given up sweets as an observance of Lent and I admired her restraint as she sat and watched the rest of us indulge. She, needless to say, is anticipating the day when her fast will be broken.

We do different things to prepare for special occasions. We pack for trips, we count the days, we even abstain from things we delight in. It is all meant to make that special time more significant and more meaningful. It is all done to prepare our hearts and minds for what is to come.

As Jesus walked resolutely toward the cross, we are told in the scriptures that He prepared Himself and those around Him. He began to talk about what was to happen. He gave the disciples clear instructions about the last meal they were to have together. He took time to be by Himself to pray and, as the hour drew near, He gathered His friends around Him and asked them to pray for Him. They were terribly inadequate in that task, but even as Jesus shook beneath the weight of what was to come, He prayed for them and moved resolutely forward. It was all steeped in anticipation. Jesus knew the torture He would endure, yet “…for the joy set before him, endured the cross …”

As we draw close to Good Friday, perhaps we should be getting ready. Perhaps we should talk about what is going to happen, even have a special meal with friends and gather them around us to pray. Perhaps we should pack the suitcases of our hearts with the things we will need to truly appreciate what happened on that day long ago. Perhaps we need to be filled once again with anticipation.

Then, when the day arrives, we will be able, with Jesus to say, “Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:28).

The Drive to Discover

By Marcia Lee Laycock

We all remember that little rhyme, memorized in grade school – ‘In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue.’ What we could not perhaps understand, as we recited that rhyme as children, was that Columbus was not just setting off on an adventure at sea as many others did before him. He was setting off under a completely new banner of faith. Columbus believed that he would, in fact, not fall off the earth, as was commonly believed at the time. He believed there was more beyond and he was driven to discover it. We all know the outcome. Columbus and his crew survived, discovered a new land and returned to tell about it.

I thought about Columbus and the many other explorers the other day, as I watched a video produced by a secular organization. The scientists on the video, who spoke about what they were discovering in the solar system, were in some ways, just like Columbus . They were driven to discover what lay beyond.

The video, called The Privileged Planet, explains how, for many centuries, man believed the earth was unique in the universe. But, as exploration of the stars moved from a pastime to a science, it began to seem that the earth was, in fact, only a small dot like billions of others. Laymen and scientists alike began to believe there had to be millions more out there, just like earth. They began listening to the stars, hoping to hear something that would tell them there was life out there. They studied solar systems and black holes and stars that appear like tiny pinpricks to the human eye. They sent exploratory devices to land on far-away planets, looking for evidence of life. They have discovered much that has been useful.

They discovered, much to their astonishment, that the earth, in fact, does appear to be one of a kind. None other is placed within a solar system in such a way that it can sustain life. As the astronomers began to understand the finely-tuned balance of the system and our planet’s place in it, they deduced that the chances of another planet like earth existing are astronomically remote.

Their deductions begged a series of questions. The question, why, is perhaps the most obvious. Why is our planet so unique? Why is it situated so perfectly that it can sustain life? Why is it situated so perfectly that the living creatures on its surface can observe and marvel at the universe around them? Why, indeed.

The Apostle Paul enlightens us in Romans – “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

God has done it all so that we might recognize Him and glorify Him. Our drive to discover, to learn, to understand the world around us and the world within us, originates in God’s desire to be glorified and to be known.

Look at the stars tonight, if you can. Or look at the snow falling from the clouds above, or the rain pouring down. Think about the incredible patterns that make those normal yet awesome natural occurrences possible. Think about our round globe, unique in the universe. And ask yourself, Why?

We’ll See

By Marcia Lee Laycock

“We’ll see,” I said, and heard my daughter sigh. She knew what that meant, just as I knew when my mother said it to me when I was her age. It meant the answer was probably “no.” It meant my mother didn’t want to come right out and say that word, but was leaning strongly in that direction. It meant she had some serious doubts about letting me do whatever it was I had requested. It meant she’d talk it over with my dad and then have the added weight and authority of his ‘no’ to back her up. When my mother said, “We’ll see,” it meant we wouldn’t.

Sometimes it feels like God is doing that. He won’t give a direct answer, but we can tell  we are not going to like it when He does. Sometimes, as we wait for the answer, we have little hope that things will turn out the way we would like them to. We are reluctant to believe that God wants to say, “yes.” We see him as a parent whose lips are permanently shaped in the form of the ‘n’ word.

But God’s letter to us, the letter that was written down thousands of years ago, tells us differently. The Scriptures tell us that God sings over us and delights in us. He longs to give us good things. He tried to convince His disciples of this when he walked and talked with them while he was on earth. Jesus said – “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11)

"Well, then," you ask, "why isn’t there a Porsche sitting in my drive way?"

There would be, if a Porsche was what was needed to help others and bring glory to God.

Look at the next verse in Matthew 9 – “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you…” (v.12). Suddenly the focus is not on the one asking for gifts, but on others around him who should be receiving them from his hands. Jesus is saying, look to the needs of others and your needs will be taken care of. He always taught us to have an outward view – look to others before looking to ourselves. In that way He is honoured and we are blessed. He will never fail to give us whatever we need to accomplish that purpose, because it is His purpose.

Perhaps, then, when we think we are hearing God say, “We’ll see,” we are hearing Him say, “examine your motives.” Perhaps then, we should ask ourselves that bottom line question – will this bring glory to God, or glory to me?

Tarnished Mirrors

By Marcia Lee Laycock

It was very early on a Saturday morning and I could hear my sister, Leisha, already rattling around in the kitchen, making coffee. By the time I got downstairs she was pouring the hot liquid into a thermos. A map of the town was on the counter and a strip of newspaper lay beside it with things highlighted and circled.

My sister is a very organized garage sale enthusiast and having someone to go along that day seemed to spur her on. We set off with anticipation and it wasn’t long before her early-bird-gets-the-worm philosophy paid off. We were poking around in a large garage full of interesting stuff when I spotted a large oval mirror. It was covered in a thick layer of dirt but it looked like it was about the size and shape that Leisha had said she wanted for above the fireplace in their home. I called her attention to it. She pulled it out and her eyes lit up. Then the negotiating started with the owner. I was amazed at how low the price went and Leisha was beaming as she walked away with the deal of the day.

It was some time before I was able to visit again, and when I did, Leisha immediately called my attention to the space above the mantle on their fireplace. My jaw dropped. The old mirror we’d found in that garage was beveled and the frame was solid oak. My brother-in-law had done a great job restoring it. It looked beautiful.

The great thing about the mirror was that it made the room seem bigger and brighter, as mirrors are designed to do. The reflection of a warm fire always made the room a comforting place to sit on a cool evening. I thought of the layers of dirt that had coated it and wondered how long it had been sitting in that old garage, like a gem waiting to be discovered.

Then I realized that we are all, in a way, like that old mirror. We’ve been used and abused and are often layered with the effects of sin and the trials of life. How tremendously encouraging it is to know that God is in the business of finding the gems that are hidden. How heartening it is to know that He is skilled at restoring minds and souls. How blessed it is to believe that He can remove every speck of tarnish, heal the brokenness and make us all into reflections of His love and mercy.

That’s the great thing about redemption – it reveals His image in us all. Just as that mirror became a thing of beauty that enhanced the room, we become the true essence of God’s creation, bringing His light and life to the world. It is what we were all designed to do. We are all meant to be mirrors that reflect His grace. All we have to do is say yes to Jesus so that the work can begin.

My husband preached a sermon from Malachi last Sunday. It was a message for the New Year that gave us all a theme to think on as we launch into 2006. The theme consists of three admonitions (it was a good three point sermon, complete with alliteration! J )

The three are – Remember the Law, Restore the Heart, and Renew Righteousness.

The first point was a caution against relying on the law to change anything – just like the laws of our country, God’s laws cannot change us, they only show us where our sin lies. We must remember the laws of God so that we can avoid the death-traps of sin. It is up to us, and God’s Spirit working in us, to make the changes necessary to live our lives in harmony with those laws.

The second point, restore the heart, led us to consider the hearts of those whom God loved – people like Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, David, and others on through history. These were men and women who failed, yet always turned back to God for mercy and grace. They always restored their love for God and restored their relationship with Him.

The third point, renew righteousness, helped us to remember that our righteousness does not come from the good works we do, but from the sacrifice of God’s only Son. It is His righteousness, freely offered to us, that holds us in God’s hand and always will. But we can renew our relationship with Him every day, just as we do with friends and family, by communicating with Him. Pray. Worship. Seek His guidance. Listen for His voice and look for those circumstances that point us to Him.

These three tenets are worthy of a poster on our walls, worthy of the time taken to consider them and the effort needed to apply them to our lives. Malachi knew the time would come when there would be no more time to consider and act upon these things – a time when everything will change, justice will be fully accomplished and Jesus will return. “Surely the day is coming,” Malachi said (Malachi 4:1).

It could be today, or any day in 2006. Are you ready? Remember the Law. Restore the Heart. Renew Righteousness.

I once had to walk through a swamp with a heavy pack on my back. I stumbled at almost every step because of the muskeg, my legs chilled to the bone by ice-cold water that lurked beneath the hummocks we tried to walk on. But I had a friend with me who continually turned and encouraged me with words that made me believe I could do what had to be done. I finished that arduous trip only because I sensed he believed I could do it and it made me want to.

In Ephesians 4:1 – The Apostle Paul writes- “…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”  On the one hand this makes me smile and want to step forward with my head held high. On the other hand, it makes me cringe. As Christians we have received a primary calling, to be like Jesus and to glorify Him in all things. That calling is irrevocable. And I am painfully aware that I fail to be worthy of it every day. I continually fall into sinful attitudes and thoughts. It makes me think of Paul’s cry in Romans – “oh wretched man that I am!” He too knew himself to be weak and unworthy, in his flesh, yet he also says – “Although I am less that the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ …” (Eph 3:8). And in that I am encouraged, because the calling on my life does not depend on my worthiness. It depends only on God’s grace and that will be sufficient for the task, not so that I will succeed, not so that others will praise me, but so that the name of Christ will be exalted.

How amazing that God chooses to use us, chooses to give us a calling and the grace with which to accomplish it! Such awareness causes me to strive to do what Paul admonished the Ephesians to do – live a life worthy  - worthy of the name God has bestowed on us. How amazing that even though we fail God continues to extend that calling and that grace, just as a coach continues to encourage his protégés even though they fall short of the mark. The encouragement is in itself sustaining, because just knowing that He doesn’t give up on us keeps us going, keeps us striving, keeps us longing to live a life worthy of Him.

Stirring the Paint

By Marcia Lee Laycock

I stood in the bare white room and sighed. Paint cans, trays, rollers and brushes were stacked in the middle of the floor. Every breath I took reminded me that I’d been here for a number of days, but there was still work to be done. These walls were still white. By the time we were finished painting the downstairs floors of two houses, I was tired, but I was getting pretty good at painting. I was even enjoying it a bit. It was satisfying, watching the paint flow onto the walls, turning them to a warm comforting colour.  

I grabbed a new pail, gave it a bit of a shake and opened it up. I knew as soon as I passed the roller over the wall that something was wrong. I looked at the label on the pail. It was the same colour. I looked at the paint inside. It looked the same as what I’d been using earlier in the day. But I looked at the wall and frowned. I dipped a brush into the paint and immediately realized the problem. It needed to be stirred. It took quite a while, and my arm was starting to object, before the consistency was right and I could use that paint, but once it had been stirred enough, the rest of the work was almost effortless.

Like paint, our faith in God needs to be stirred. We need to see God’s hand at work in our lives and the lives of others. It’s the answered prayers, the obvious God incidents, and the manifestations of His glory in the world around us, which thicken our faith into something that will sustain us, something that can be used.

Some of the stirring can only be accomplished by God Himself. Faith is a gift. Only He can open our eyes to its reality. But we can put ourselves in places where we will see the hand of God at work. Go to the third world. Help in a soup kitchen. Visit the dying and those in prison. Work with those who are disabled. Witness to those around you. Go to church. Take the risks that will reveal Him. God is always at work in places where He is most needed.  

When faith is thin, our spiritual life fades and God can’t accomplish much through us. But when it’s been stirred, life thickens with purpose and meaning. It is then that faith becomes a beautiful and useful tool in God’s hands. When our faith has been stirred, the work we do for Him seems almost effortless because we recognize that it is He who works through us. We see the difference only He can make, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

Deadly Things are Lurking

By Marcia Lee Laycock